Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Jordan Schmidt became a state medalist last season in his second appearance at the state meet.

On Saturday Schmidt became a three-time state qualifier.

After his performance at the Class 2A, District 9 meet on Saturday Schmidt will head to Des Moines with momentum and confidence.

And a little extra swagger.

Seventh-ranked Schmidt used a third-period takedown to win a 5-4 decision over second-ranked Jase Jaspers of Mount Vernon in the 138-pound title match on Saturday at Solon High School.

“I’d lost to him twice so just to get some momentum going into the state tournament and knowing that I can take a title home is pretty great,” Schmidt said. “It just sets me up for the next tournament.”

The win over Jaspers was the first in three meetings this season for Schmidt against the 2023 126-pound runner-up from Mount Vernon.

Jaspers had won a pair of 3-1 decisions over Schmidt this season, the most recent victory coming in a regional dual matchup on January 30.

“I hope this helps him see he is capable of getting on top of the award stand in Des Moines,” Solon coach Aaron Hadenfeldt said of the finals win. “A win against a kid like that can prove those things.”

Each of the first two meetings with Jaspers featured a single takedown.

In Saturday’s match Schmidt (45-6) scored a pair of third-quarter takedowns to pull the upset.

“I was patient and didn’t force anything or take any bad shots,” Schmidt said. “I stayed calm and relaxed and just waited for an opportunity.”

Trailing 1-0 entering the final period Schmidt evened the match with an escape and took a 3-1 lead with his first takedown less than 10 seconds later.

Following a Jaspers escape that cut the lead to 3-2 Schmidt scored the decisive final takedown with 20 seconds remaining.

“I was focusing on if I was going to take a shot to make sure it was set up very well,” Schmidt said. “I wanted to wrestle my style and let it flow.”

Schmidt, who placed seventh at the state meet last season at 132 pounds returns to Des Moines poised to make a run in the 138-pound bracket.

“Jordan is the kind of kid that when he goes he goes and this week it was six minutes of going and never stopping,” Hadenfeldt said. “He never stopped wrestling for six minutes today and if he wrestles for six minutes the sky is the limit for that kid.”

Schmidt highlighted a list of four Spartans to secure spots at the Class 2A state meet that gets underway next Wednesday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Juniors Charlie Karam and Jackson Feuerbach and freshman Lucas Feuerbach all earned state tournament berths with runner-up finishes on Saturday.

Jackson Feuerbach (30-20) finished runner-up at 165 pounds dropping a 6-2 decision to Elston Lindner of Central DeWitt in the final.

Charlie Karam and Lucas Feuerbach each won wrestle back matches to earn their spot at state.

“You have the blood round at the high school wrestling tournament and that’s exactly what that is,” Hadenfeldt said of the wrestle back matches. “You are coming off a loss and you have to turn around and wrestle half an hour later and that takes guts.”

Karam won a 12-3 major decision over Bowen Thomson of Columbus to finish runner-up at 132 pounds.

Lucas Feuerbach pinned Quinn Callahan of Mid-Prairie in a wrestle back to finish runner-up at 215 pounds.

“I was a little bummed that I lost that match but I was able to come back and take care of business,” Feuerbach said. “It was hard wrestling back-to-back basically, it was tough but I was able to find a way.”

Solon went 2-3 in wrestle backs and had six wrestlers finish third on Saturday as the Spartans were second behind second-ranked Mount Vernon in the team standings.

“I hate this day because of the highs and the lows,” Hadenfeldt said. “You feel so good for the kids that go and your hear breaks for some of those kids that don’t make it. There were a lot of positives moving forward but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish that we had a couple of matches back.”

Class 2A, District 9

At Solon High School

Team scores – 1. Mount Vernon 209.5; 2. Solon 171.5; 3. Central DeWitt 149.5; 4. Columbus 119; 5. West Liberty 107; 6. Mid-Prairie 54; 7. Tipton 51; 8. Camanche 29

Championship matches; state qualifiers   

106 – 1. Klayten Perreault (MV) pinned Cale Johnson (CD) 2:00

113 – 1. Ryan Cassady (WL) dec. Jacob Nelson (COL) 4-0

120 – 1. Jayson Johnson (TIP) dec. Jake Haugse (MV) 10-4

126 – 1. Ty Scorpil (COL) pinned Evan Burg (SOL) 1:57; 2. Dolan Thiesen (CD)

132 – 1. Briggs Collins (WL) pinned Charlie Karam (SOL) :55

138 – 1. Jordan Schmidt (SOL) dec. Jase Jaspers (MV) 5-4

144 – 1. Jackson Jaspers (MV) dec. Royce Butt (CD) 5-2

150 – 1. Mikey Ryan (MV) major dec. Ryker Dengler (WL) 11-3

157 – 1. Kaden Wiele (WL) dec. Aiden Graves (TIP) 11-8

165 – 1. Elston Lindner (CD) dec. Jackson Feuerbach (SOL) 6-2

175 – 1. Watson Krob (MV) dec. Kason Dopler (COL) 6-4

190 – 1. Layton Slaymaker (CD) pinned Caysen Curran (MV) 3:29

215 – 1. Chris Wrage (CD) dec. Lucas Feuerbach (SOL) 8-4

285 – 1. Ethan Wood (MV) pinned Russel Coil (COL) 3:35

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